FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra Presents Holiday Spectacular Featuring Broadway Vocalist Christopher Faison

Holiday concert celebrates the season with festive classics and special guest vocalist

NEW LONDON, CT – The Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Music Director and Conductor Toshiyuki Shimada, invites the community to celebrate the season at its Holiday Spectacular on Saturday, December 6th at 3:00 PM at the Garde Arts Center in New London.

This beloved holiday performance features the full symphony orchestra, the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus, and the New London High School Chorus along with special guest Chris Faison, an acclaimed Broadway vocalist whose powerful voice and captivating stage presence have delighted audiences across the country.

Adding to the festive atmosphere, the SubTones, an a cappella group of employees from General Dynamics Electric Boat will perform seasonal selections in the Garde Arts Center lobby before the concert, creating a welcoming pre-show celebration for all attendees.

The concert program will feature a festive selection of holiday classics, beloved carols, and seasonal favorites that capture the spirit of the season. 

CONCERT DETAILS:

• What: Holiday Spectacular 
• When: Saturday, December 6, 2025, 3:00 PM
• Where: Garde Arts Center, 325 State Street, New London, CT 06320
• Tickets: $32 to $84 plus fees
• Purchase: Available at https://gardearts.org/series/ecso/

ABOUT CHRISTOPHER FAISON 

Christopher Faison has been called “silken voiced,” “ a stage dynamo” and “downright  thrilling.” His singing has been called “muscular” his acting, “impassioned”. He  provides some “powerhouse moments.” Christopher has been entertaining audiences  across the globe for over three decades. He made his mark as a local favorite at an  early age, having garnered high praise as a student at the Norwich Free Academy.  There he performed in numerous choir concerts, made us laugh in “The Robber  Bridegroom” (Clemment Musgrove) and brought down the house in “Dreamgirls”  (James Thunder Early). He was auditioned for the Connecticut All-State Choir  Competition, placing 4th out of 122 Tenors. He represented the state in the All- New  England Choir where he was a featured soloist. Upon graduation, he attended  Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University where he appeared in “The Little  Princess” (Ram Dass) and “The Mikado” (Ensemble). Under the direction of Grammy  Award Winner Michael Forest, he won the 1st place Award for Musical Theater College  Male, by the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the 2nd Place Award for  Musical Theater College Male for the Mid- Atlantic Region. In 1998 Christopher  became a member of the world organization Up with People, where he was a featured  singer, and performed in Austria, Belgium, France and Japan in addition to 25 of the  United States. He returned to Connecticut where he was an integral part of the  inception of the ‘Best Production Company’ and the ‘Spirit of Broadway Theater’. He  appeared in several World and New England premiers, among his favorites: “Still Life  with Iris,” (Memory Mender) “The Bridge Burner” (James) and “Songs for A New World”  (Man One). In 2003, he auditioned for Royal Caribbean Productions, and began a  decade long tenure as a Featured Singer and Vocal Captain. In 2005, he was cast in  “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” by Phoenix Theater, in Phoenix, Arizona and received an AriZoni  Award for his performance. That same year, he became a member of Actors Equity  Association, the union for professional working Actors and Stage Managers. In 2013,  he made his cabaret debut with his self-contained cabaret, “Mine Eyes Have Seen”. He  soon after was cast in the 1st National Tour of the Tony Award Winning Musical, “The  Book of Mormon”. While on tour, he began teaching masterclasses to young and  aspiring actors around the country. After touring with “The Book of Mormon” for 3  years, he continued writing and performing cabarets with “This Christmas” and “Next  Year, Baby”. He made his directorial debut with “Songs for A New World” in 2017 for  the Chestnut Street Playhouse, and the following year he was cast in the ‘Loverly’  Quartet in the Broadway revival of “My Fair Lady” marking his Broadway debut. He  understudied and performed the role of Freddy Eyensford-Hill and appeared on the  Tony Awards; The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and is featured on the cast album.  Upon closing “My Fair Lady” Faison joined the 1st National Touring company of “Hello,  Dolly” where he understudied and performed the role of Cornelius Hackl. Following the  pandemic shutdown, he pivoted from performing to teaching and established himself  as an online Vocal Coach. He also used that time to write and debut his long  anticipated cabaret “Here and Now: The Music of Luther Vandross”. In September of  2021, he was recruited to play Riff in a new staging of “West Side Story” in Helsinki,  Finland. Afterwards, he joined the company of the 1st National Tour of “My Fair Lady”  reprising his role in the ‘Loverly’ Quartet. Faison was then hired to teach Acting/Singing  masterclasses to students in the British Virgin Islands. In 2022, he was hired as the  Musical Director for Music Theatre Philly’s production of “SpongeBob SquarePants: 

The Broadway Musical” and appeared as Ton Ton Julian in the Barrymore Award  Winning Production of “Once on This Island” at the Arden Theatre. He continued  performing his acclaimed cabaret “Here and Now: The Music of Luther Vandross”, to  sold out audiences in Connecticut, and Mexico, and for the Vandross estate in New  York City. Upon his return to Connecticut, Christopher joined ActUp Theater in  Hartford, where he served as an Acting/Audition Masterclass instructor. He recently  made headlines as the director of the Chestnut Street Playhouse’s record breaking  production of “Once on This Island” the first BIPOC led production in the theatre’s  history. Christopher is a proud member of Actors Equity Association, the union for  professional actors and stage managers in the United States. He makes his home in  Connecticut. 

ABOUT THE EASTERN CONNECTICUT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 

The Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra’s mission is to inspire, educate, and connect communities through live orchestral music. Under Toshiyuki Shimada’s distinguished leadership, the ECSO has become a cornerstone of the region’s cultural landscape, presenting world-class performances that bring together exceptional musicians and devoted audiences.

Contact

For season tickets and complete program information, visit ectsymphony.com or call (860) 443-2876.

For single tickets go to gardearts.org.

Media Contact:
Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra
Phone: (860) 443-2876
Website: ectsymphony.com
Email: [email protected]